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by Lorz



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-16
Updated: 2013-07-16
Packaged: 2017-12-20 09:49:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/885837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lorz/pseuds/Lorz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo wasn't quite sure why he had decided to follow the dwarves out the door and on the quest for Erebor. No, that was a lie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home

Bilbo wasn't quite sure why he had decided to follow the dwarves out the door and on the quest for Erebor. No, that was a lie. He knew exactly why he had followed thirteen dwarves and one wizard on their insanely improbable quest to reclaim a forgotten kingdom. The Shire was home to him, as it was to all hobbits, but it's inhabitants were less than friendly towards him a lot of the time. The Gamgees, Tooks and Brandybucks treated him well and the Baggins' family never publicly wronged him, but the rest of the Shire treated him as they would an outsider most of the time.

It was true to say that Bilbo Baggins had not always acted like a proper and respectable hobbit. As a little hobbit he had been far more interested in searching for elves and having fun then what his neighbours had thought of him. Bungo Baggins had fainted several times at the mentions of his son's daily adventure, buy had tolerated them all the same, as one did a loved one's hobbies that you didn't particularly approve of. Belladonna had practically encouraged them, and teased her husband that the Took blood was stronger in their son than the Baggins blood.

The young hobbit hadn't had many friends, but his Took cousins and friends from the Brandybuck family had sufficed. Hamfast Gamgee (who would go on to become Bilbo's gardener) had also grown to be one of his friends ( if a somewhat shy one) and so Bilbo had never wanted for company.

His parents deaths had changed all of that. Bungo and Belladonna had died while searching for Bilbo, who had become too involved in one of his explorings of the Shire, and Bilbo had never forgiven himself for the consequences of his wild and childish actions. The hobbit (his majority had been the week before his parents slaughter by the wild wolves of the surrounding lands) had quickly decided that his adventures would end. Bilbo had transformed himself into a gentlehobbit who ensured he was respectable in the eyes of his neighbours. His adventures had ended, and he had distanced himself from the Took cousins and friends that wished to draw him into adventures. He remained friends with them, but no longer hbe them approving looks for their wild thoughts.

In effect, Bilbo became the epitome of what a hobbit should be. Unfortunately, his reputation had already been damaged and the other residents of the Shire had already judged him. Being shunned or looked down on was not an uncommon occurrence, even from his father's family. The Baggins' family never treated Bilbo badly in public, and would never allow a bad word to be said against him, but their visits were sporadic ( and almost non existent ) and Bilbo knew they only did so to protect their own good.

Yes, the Shire was indeed his home, but Bilbo had followed the company of dwarves to Erebor because he believed that they needed a home to return to. He saw the way they held themselves and guessed that they had not always been welcome after their forced exile from Erebor. He knew how it felt to be an outsider. He was aware of how awful it was and so he decided that he would help them to take back their home, if he could. And perhaps, maybe he hoped that there was some chance that Bilbo Baggins would be able to find a new home of his own as well, in a mountain filled with gold, that a dragon had stolen from the dwarves of Erebor.


End file.
